Galatasaray and Kasımpaşa Draw in Süper Lig Match

Galatasaray secured a 3-1 victory over Kasımpaşa at RAMS Park in the seventh round of the Trendyol Süper Lig, capturing provisional first place in the league standings with 16 points, according to match reports from Hürriyet and Fotomaç.

Abdülkerim Bardakcı Breaks the Deadlock Before Halftime

The home side controlled much of the opening forty-five minutes in Istanbul. Galatasaray tested Kasımpaşa goalkeeper Gianniotis repeatedly through Deniz, Yunus Akgün, and Gabriel Sara before breaking through just before the interval. In the 45th minute, midfielder Batrakov curled a precise free-kick into the penalty area, allowing defender Abdülkerim Bardakcı to direct a header past the defense and into the net, giving the hosts a 1-0 lead at the break.

Lucas Torreira Sees Straight Red Following VAR Intervention

The match shifted dramatically after the interval when Galatasaray was reduced to ten men. In the 63rd minute, midfielder Lucas Torreira made a challenge on Thiemoko Diarra near the center circle, initially drawing a yellow card from referee Halil Umut Meler. Following a review called by the video assistant referee, Meler reversed the decision and issued a straight red card to Torreira for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, as reported by Haber 7. The dismissal marks the first red card of Torreira’s Süper Lig career, putting his availability for upcoming fixtures in jeopardy.

Jesuran Rak-Sakyi Equalizes for Kasımpaşa

Capitalizing on the numerical advantage, Kasımpaşa equalized shortly after the restart. In the 68th minute, a corner kick from Kerem Demirbay was punched clear by Galatasaray goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır, but the ball fell to Diarra outside the penalty arc. Diarra fired a low shot that deflected off a defender into the path of substitute Jesuran Rak-Sakyi, who placed a firm shot into the far corner to make it 1-1.

Barış Alper Yılmaz and Mario Lemina Secure Late Winner

Despite playing a man down, Galatasaray applied intense pressure in the closing stages. Victor Osimhen and Leroy Sané entered the match as second-half substitutes, with Osimhen making his return to the pitch after recovering from an injury sustained against İstanbul Başakşehir in the fourth week of the season, as noted by Fotomaç. In the 90th minute, Ismail Jakobs drove down the left flank and delivered a sharp cross that bypassed the Kasımpaşa defense to reach Barış Alper Yılmaz at the back post, who finished cleanly to restore the lead at 2-1. Deep into stoppage time, in the 90+6th minute, Osimhen fed a pass to Mario Lemina inside the area; Lemina maneuvered past his marker and struck a shot off Gianniotis’s legs and into the goal to seal the 3-1 final score.

Next Fixtures for Galatasaray and Kasımpaşa

With this result, Okan Buruk’s squad moves to 16 points at the top of the table ahead of the weekend fixtures, while Kasımpaşa suffers its first defeat of the league campaign and remains on 10 points. For their next assignments in the Süper Lig’s eighth round, Galatasaray will travel to face Gençlerbirliği away, while Kasımpaşa returns home to host Samsunspor.

Galatasaray and Kasımpaşa Name Starting Lineups

Galatasaray’s starting eleven featured Uğurcan, Barış Alper, Davinson, Abdülkerim, Jakobs, Torreira, Sara, Yunus, Batrakov, Leao, and Deniz, while Kasımpaşa lined up with Gianniotis, Winck, Mouanga, Ilie, Ayberk, Mendes, Baldursson, Kerem Demirbay, Ali Yavuz, Güven, and Benedyczak. Gustavo Fernandes Correia officiated from the TFF VAR center, and the fixture was broadcast live on beIN Sports 1 HD and Digiturk 4K.